Latest news with #DCompany
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
MCOCA invoked in kidnapping of alleged drug trafficker linked to D Company
MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch has invoked stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the kidnapping case of alleged drug trafficker Sajid Electricwala, citing his captors' links to the D Company network, founded and controlled by Dawood Ibrahim. MCOCA invoked in kidnapping of alleged drug trafficker linked to D Company According to investigators, MCOCA has been applied against ten accused, who are suspected to have worked for Anwar Shaikh — the brother of underworld fugitive Chhota Shakeel. Police allege the accused ran a synthetic drug racket manufacturing Mephedrone, popularly known as MD, under Shaikh's direction. The case stems from a June 16 operation, when Electricwala was rescued from Banda district in Uttar Pradesh after being allegedly held captive for nearly a month. Police say he was abducted for failing to return ₹50 lakh taken from the gang and for not delivering a promised consignment of Mephedrone. The accused — Sarwar Maqsood Khan, Yunush Tewarpal, Mehtab Ali, Santosh Waghmare, Rahul Sawant, Satish Kadu, and Taufeeque Sandy — were arrested in June. Three others, Mohammad Hussain Farid Khan, Jeetendra Thakur, and Vijay Kale, were apprehended in July. Investigators claim Khan was the key link to Anwar Shaikh, who allegedly funded the drug manufacturing operation. Officials also revealed the gang used the encrypted messaging application Zangi to communicate. The app offers 'military-grade' encryption, does not require a phone number for registration, and leaves no saved message trail — a feature that, police say, made it nearly impossible to intercept their conversations. 'We have applied MCOCA in this case and will seek further custody of the accused under the provisions of the Act,' said a senior crime branch officer.
News18
6 days ago
- News18
Who Is India's Most Wanted Arms Dealer Salim Pistol And What Is His Link To Pakistan
For years, Salim Pistol supplied advanced weapons from Pakistan to India and is reportedly the mentor of a Sidhu Moosewala murder accused, with links to ISI and D Company In a major pre-Independence Day operation, Delhi Police have captured one of the country's most wanted arms dealer, Salim Pistol, and brought him from Nepal. Salim Sheikh, known as Salim Pistol, was arrested in Nepal earlier this week and handed over to Delhi Police at the Indo-Nepal border on Wednesday. He is now in custody for questioning by Delhi Police and central agencies, with preliminary reports indicating possible links to Pakistan. According to sources, Salim Pistol will be questioned regarding his connections to Pakistan ISI and D Company. He is currently held at the Special Cell office in Janakpuri. Sources indicate that Salim Pistol was in constant contact with influential figures in UP. He is considered the mastermind behind the sophisticated weapons consignments entering India from Pakistan. Recently, News18 India reported on Salim Pistol's location in Nepal. According to reports, for several years, Salim Pistol has supplied high-quality weapons from Pakistan to India and is known to be the mentor of an accused in the Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala murder case. Security agencies have reportedly discovered evidence linking Salim to Pakistan ISI and D Company. Salim Pistol was previously arrested in Delhi in 2018 but managed to flee abroad. His name also surfaced in the Baba Siddiqui murder case in Mumbai. Salim Pistol has supplied advanced weapons to various gangsters in the country, including Lawrence Bishnoi and Hashim Baba. He hails from Seelampur, Delhi. Background Of Salim Pistol What Is His Criminal History? Vehicle Theft (auto-lifting): Due to bad habits and financial difficulties, Sheikh Salim entered the world of crime, starting with vehicle theft alongside his partner Mukesh Gupta alias Kaka. On April 7, 2000, they stole a Maruti van using a master key from PS Chandni Chowk, Kacha Bagh area. FIR No. 70/2000 was registered under Section 379/411/34 IPC. On May 25, 2000, police arrested Salim and Mukesh with the same vehicle, which had a changed number plate. Armed Robbery: On August 7, 2011, Sheikh Salim and his associates committed an armed robbery, looting Rs 20 lakh from Gali No. 29, House No. 724, Jafrabad, Delhi. FIR No. 243/2011 under Section 395/397 IPC was registered at PS Jafrabad. On September 18, 2013, Sheikh Salim was arrested and sent to judicial custody. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
08-08-2025
- India Today
Arms supplier ‘Salim Pistol' arrested in Nepal for smuggling weapons into India
In a major breakthrough, Delhi Police Special Cell, in coordination with security agencies, has tracked down and arrested India's biggest arms supplier, Sheikh Salim alias Salim Pistol, in Nepal. Salim, who had been on the run since 2018, is the first person to have supplied Zigana pistols to gangsters in India and has been a key conduit for smuggling sophisticated weapons from Pakistan for several to security agencies, Salim maintained deep links with Pakistan's ISI and the underworld network of D Company. He is also known to be the mentor of one of the accused in Sidhu Moosewala's murder. His name had earlier surfaced in the Baba Siddiqui murder case as well. A resident of Seelampur, Delhi, Salim began his criminal career with vehicle thefts before moving on to armed robberies and large-scale arms trafficking. He has supplied weapons to several notorious gangsters, including Lawrence Bishnoi, Hashim Baba, and was first arrested in Delhi in 2018 but managed to flee abroad after securing bail. Acting on fresh intelligence inputs about his presence in Nepal, Delhi Police moved swiftly to coordinate with local authorities, leading to his sources revealed that Salim's dossier details his troubled past — dropping out of school after Class VIII due to financial constraints, engaging in petty crime, and eventually becoming a key player in the illegal arms trade. - Ends
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Once branded as terror hub, Azamgarh now a fortress of courage, says Yogi Adityanath
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said people of Uttar Pradesh were earlier scared of taking the name of Azamgarh or identifying with the place but under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has become the fortress of 'indomitable courage'. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurating the Gorakhpur Link Expressway in Azamgarh on Friday. (ANI PHOTO) He was speaking at the inauguration of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway at Salarpur in Azamgarh. Taking a swipe at the Opposition, he alleged the previous (non-BJP) governments used to partner with D-company and Dawood gang instead of nurturing development, breached security and made Azamgarh a stronghold of terror but added that there was a sea change now. 'They did not do development, they nurtured Mumbai's D Company, they nurtured Dawood's gang with D Company, they did partnerships with them, they used to break the security, whenever there was a terrorist incident, Azamgarh would get a bad name, these youth of mine faced an identity crisis,' he alleged. 'Today if someone breaches the security of the country, the identity of Azamgarh will not be in danger, rather the person creating the crisis will be given a ticket to hell. This is the new India and Prime Minister Modi has also given a clear message to the enemies of the country through Operation Sindoor that if someone instigates terrorism, inspires and encourages terrorism, then (we) will enter and kill them, whether it is a surgical strike, air strike or Operation Sindoor. The brave soldiers of India will enter the enemy's den, flush them out and finish them off,' Adityanath said 'Today, if someone tries to play with the security of the state, then Yamraj's ticket is already booked for him, ' Adityanath said. 'In 2007-08, Ajit Rai was murdered in Shibli National College for advocating the singing of Vande Mataram, but now no one can dare to do such a thing,' he said, adding that Azamgarh had to beg for its identity earlier but now the situation has changed. 'Remember what the conditions were eight years ago. The youth of UP and the residents of the state would suffer from an identity crisis. People used to feel scared to take the name of Azamgarh and UP,' he said. He also said, 'When Veer Kunwar Singh, the hero of the first war of independence in 1857, fought the British till Azamgarh to defeat them, there was no connectivity. If this Purvanchal Expressway had been there at that time, the people of Azamgarh, along with Veer Kunwar Singh, would have beaten the British and then this country would have become independent in 1857 itself. There was no connectivity at that time.' He further said the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Mahakumbh Prayagraj, the development of Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Kashi, Maa Vindhyavasini Dham and Chitrakoot Dham, all these are giving the state a new identity today. 'Our work has also started in Mathura-Vrindavan. Maharaja Suheldev University and Medical College in Azamgarh are strengthening the identity of culture,' he said. He mentioned the recruitment of 60,244 police personnel in Uttar Pradesh recently. The chief minister said that without recommendation or money, youth of every caste and community, including 12,045 women, have been recruited in Uttar Pradesh police in a transparent manner. Before 2017, uncle and nephew used to go out for recovery, but now Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas is happening, he alleged. After 2017, the double engine government gave a new identity to Azamgarh's saree, black pottery and Hariharpur's musical gharana, he said. Earlier, they were ignored, but when Nirahua (former Azamgarh MP Dinesh Lal Yadav) and Neelam Sonkar became MPs, development in the district picked up pace, he added. Yogi also saw a sand and photo exhibition about the construction work of the link expressway. In his address in Bhagwanpur, the chief minister further mentioned that over 2.16 lakh appointments have been made in the police department alone, with a total of more than 8.5 lakh government jobs filled in the last eight years. He praised Prime Minister Modi's vision for enabling the state to balance cultural heritage with modern development. He pointed to examples like Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura, Prayagraj, Naimisharanya, and Chitrakoot, where the integration of tradition and progress is clearly visible. 'No society can move forward by forgetting its history,' he said, adding that the journey of heritage and development will continue together. PRESIDENT TO INAUGURATE UP'S FIRST AYUSH UNIVERSITY IN GORAKHPUR ON JUNE 30 Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday announced that Uttar Pradesh's first Ayush University, located in Bhathat, Gorakhpur, will be inaugurated by the President of India on June 30. HTC
The Sun
05-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
I landed on D-Day with 130 comrades but a year later only 19 went home – my story must NEVER die with me
WHEN Richard Brock landed under fire on Gold Beach in Normandy on D-Day, his band of brothers was 130 strong. Eleven months later, after they fought relentlessly across Europe — and World War Two was finally over — only 19 made it home. 5 Today, on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Richard, 100, says: 'I'm the last of them left alive. Our story must never be allowed to die with me.' That story begins on June 6, 1944, when D Company of the 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment landed on Gold Beach during the biggest military invasion in history. Through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, they fought in some of the war's biggest battles — Normandy, Arnhem and the Battle of the Bulge. They fought in the final showdown with the Nazis near Hamburg as Germany finally surrendered on May 8, 1945. Richard says of his 111 fallen comrades, now commemorated in military cemeteries: 'I'm sad but very proud for the sacrifice they made for us all. They gave their lives for the peace we enjoy today.' Father-of-three Richard, from Lancaster, adds: 'We were the support troops in the second wave. The lads who went in first were all right because the Germans didn't know what was happening. By the time we landed, they were throwing everything at us. 'I was driving a lorry full of ammunition. Later, a driver got injured so I had to take over a Bren gun carrier and drive it through Normandy. There were shells coming in everywhere. The Germans were trying to take our heads off.' Later, D Company sent out a ten-man patrol to scout. They never came back. Richard says: 'We came across those lads, all of them, lying dead.' D Company did, though, take prisoners of war and, in one of their pockets, Richard found photos of Holocaust architect Heinrich Himmler. He says: 'There was also a photo of a woman. I asked who it was. He said his mother. I tore up her picture in front of his face. After, I felt sick. It had brought me down to his level. But you're full of hatred.' VE Day was a 'jolly' moment but work went on, 100-year-old former Wren says After taking the vital Hill 112 near Caen, at Falaise Gap, the Americans, Canadians and British surrounded the German 7th Army. Death and devastation stretched for miles. Richard says: 'The stench was atrocious — hundreds of bodies of German soldiers and horses littered the ground.' By September 1944, D Company had reached Antwerp in Belgium. But during a 48-hour rest stop, Richard was nearly killed. He says: 'Four of us decided to watch Buffalo Bill at the Rex Cinema, which had been taken over by the military. But first, we went to a cafe. I was the last to leave when there was a terrific blast. Cargo of whisky 'I was blown across the cafe and the ceiling came down. Pals pulled me out of the debris and took me to the first-aid station. I learnt later that a V2 rocket had hit the cinema and hundreds died, including a lot of our lads. It was never reported. I was very lucky. Going to the cafe had saved our lives.' After eight days' fighting, the British captured the Dutch city 'S-Hertogenbosch. Richard says: 'As we advanced, a German officer came up on horseback. We let him have it and the horse got killed, too. 'A few minutes later, people came out of their cellars with knives and cut up the horse. They were starving.' Richard's war took him to the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944, where land forces joined Allied air troops to strike across the River Rhine into Germany. The East Lancs' first target was the bridge at Nijmegen, but they arrived late. Germans had blown it up and captured hundreds of British airborne personnel. So Richard's convoy was sent instead to fight alongside the Americans at the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium's Ardennes region. 5 5 5 He says: 'We drove from Holland and arrived on Christmas Eve. There was no Christmas dinner that year — only bully-beef sandwiches.' After pushing the enemy back, D Company crossed into Germany and headed for Hamburg and the last battle of World War Two. On the way, Richard saw the horrors of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp a day after liberation. He says: 'That stench hit you. Hundreds were dead and dying. That sight will live with me for ever. I said to my co-driver, 'Where is God to allow such suffering?'.' Afterwards, the East Lancs advanced to their last engagement with the enemy, near Rothenburg. Rumours swirled of a surrender and Richard saw the German High Command drive past with white flags flying. Amid the rubble of Hamburg docks on VE Day, Richard found a cargo of John Haig whisky. He says: 'All the lads were gifted a bottle and it made their day.' Despite VE Day, Richard was still armed and rounding up rogue fighters. By the time his war was finally over, Richard, by then a 23-year-old sergeant, returned to Lancaster to marry sweetheart Patricia, who had moved from Birmingham to escape bombing. Pat and master butcher Richard were happily married for over 75 years. He says: 'If it hadn't been for Hitler, we'd never have met. Fate brought us together.' He kept in touch with his 18 comrades who made it home, and they met monthly at Fulwood barracks in Preston, as one by one they died. Richard, who on Thursday will light a beacon at Lancaster Castle to mark 80 years since VE Day, says: 'War is no good to anybody, and I hope the latest generation of lads won't have to go in again.'
